Taco Bell to debut next Doritos Locos Taco Aug. 22

Hoping for a trifecta, Taco Bell has begun promoting the arrival of its third Doritos Locos Taco flavor in restaurants, which is scheduled for Aug. 22.

What the flavor will be, however, remains a mystery.

For months, the company has been testing a new Flamas taco shell, which is spicy with a hint of lime. But in a Tweet Thursday, Taco Bell simply revealed the date, writing, “Nacho Cheese. Cool Ranch. What’s next? It’s coming 8.22.13. #_DLT.”

Since the Doritos Locos Tacos line debuted last year, the Irvine, Calif.-based chain has been using social media in various ways to build anticipation. In June, the company also hinted of the new flavor to come with a Vine video that spelled out DLT in flames.

Taco Bell is reportedly testing a Fiery Chicken Cool Ranch flavor, but the chain’s chief executive Greg Creed has noted publicly that the Flamas flavor is his favorite so far.

In an earnings call with analysts following the release of parent company Yum! Brands Inc.’s second-quarter results in July, Rick Carucci, the company’s president, said Doritos Locos Tacos sales fueled a 2-percent same-store sales increase for Taco Bell for the quarter, lapping a 13-percent gain a year ago, after the first flavor, Nacho Cheese, was introduced.

During the second quarter alone, the chain sold 100 million Doritos Locos Tacos — 500 million since the debut — and Carucci said the platform continues to be one of the most successful new-product launches in history.

A division of Louisville, Ky.-based Yum, the 6,000-unit Taco Bell chain has the goal of doubling its sales over the next decade, from $7 billion to $14 billion.